By Victoria Brown: When was the last time you had fresh homemade pasta? Last year? Can’t remember? Possibly never? Dried pasta might be quick and easy, but anyone who has tried fresh homemade pasta will agree that it is far superior, and it doesn’t just taste better, it can be healthier too.

Pete McGahey, Executive Chef at Beverley Hospital, and David Gauvin, long time chef at Addison Gilbert Hospital, show you how to make your own pasta from scratch. Gauvin uses a pasta maker with adjustable settings and shows that it can actually be a very quick process. But you don’t have to have your own pasta maker, you can use a rolling pin; “the process would just be a little longer, that’s all, a little bit more elbow grease needed” Gauvin says. He also explains that you can speed things up next time by making a big batch; “you can just take a piece off at a time and keep the rest in the freezer and roll it out as you need it.”

Working as chefs in the health service, McGahey and Gauvin are concerned with making healthy dishes for their patients and so they use whole wheat flour, which contains more fiber and protein than regular flour, and infuse their pasta with turmeric, which has a range of health benefits. In addition to the anti-inflammatory properties that McGahey mentions, turmeric is thought to provide antioxidants, improve circulation and offer some protection for the liver from the effects of toxins, such as alcohol.

The renowned food and cooking reference book Larousse Gastronomique defines turmeric as “A tropical herbaceous plant with an aromatic underground stem which resembles fresh root ginger in shape or form, but with a bright yellow color and dark skin. The dried, ground spice is used to flavor savory dishes and to produce a colorant.” Turmeric is most commonly used in Indian and South-East Asian cuisines. The Larousse describes its flavor as warm and earthy and says that it goes well with citrus, ginger and cardamom.

McGahey and Gauvin toss their turmeric-infused pasta with some other healthy ingredients – olive oil, garlic and spinach – and serve it with a fillet of poached salmon, which is high in omega 3. Even if healthy eating isn’t the top of your priority list, this recipe gives you the basis for making your own pasta and you can experiment with your own infusions and accompaniments at home.